


Ready To Start

by wordsnnotes



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Banter, Easter Eggs, Fluff and Humor, Meet-Cute, Multi, OT5 Friendship (One Direction), POV Zayn Malik, Sleepovers, Trick or Treating, also there's nothing scary about this fic except how bad my humour is, because of course, but i got a bit carried away with zouis and larry and ziam, niall is here as comic relief as always, this is an attempt at writing a fic focusing primarily on ot5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:36:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsnnotes/pseuds/wordsnnotes
Summary: Louis manages to convince his best friend Zayn to go trick-or-treating for Halloween this year, even though they’re both way past the age for it. Zayn is a little reluctant to go, but they end up meeting three cool guys on the way, and having one of the best nights of their lives.Featuring: ot5 banter, an impromptu sleepover, a scary encounter at the cemetery, a few Easter Eggs, and lots of Zouis feels
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan & Zayn Malik & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik & Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 15
Kudos: 43
Collections: Larrie Writers GC Challenge 1: Autumn/Halloween/Horror





	Ready To Start

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, happy spooky season 👻  
> A few things before we start: this fic was written as part of a Halloween-themed challenge organized by a writing gc I'm part of (even though I'm criminally absent from it, sorry about that 😔). Shout-out to all the other members, I'm really excited to read all their fics, which can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/LarrieWritersGCChallenge1/works)!  
> Big thank you to [Gabi](https://vintageumbroshirt.tumblr.com/) for taking over the organization of the challenge, and being an awesome friend 💕 I also want to thank [Nova](https://28finelines.tumblr.com/), for suggesting Niall dress up as a pumpkin, and [Cami](https://thechampagnelovers.tumblr.com/), who reassured me when I had a crisis about my fic post (which can be found [here](https://quelsentiment.tumblr.com/post/632970573847330816/ready-to-start-by-wordsnnotes-aka-me-g-6k), if you want to reblog it)  
> Final notes: all the characters are roughly the same age (around 17-18), the fic is set somewhere in the Pacific Northwest (let's say in Canada, since I used Canadian spelling), some time in the late 1990s or early 2000s, and the title comes from the name of [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92IKHz5vT6k) Arcade Fire song, which I love very much.

“Come on, say yes, pleaaaase”, Louis begged, making puppy eyes at Zayn.

“Stop staring at me like that”, Zayn huffed. “You know I’m impervious to that look.”

“Oh, ‘impervious’, really? That’s a big word, Zee, your nerdiness is showing... I’m not so sure you’re ‘impervious’ to my tickles, though”, Louis said, lifting an eyebrow, and he suddenly tackled his friend and they both fell to the floor, Louis climbing on top of him and starting to tickle Zayn’s ribs.

Zayn couldn’t help giggling and squirming under Louis’ touch, trying to get away, but his friend’s grip was too strong.

After a few seconds of fruitless struggle, he gave in.

“Okay, okay, fine, I’ll do it”, he said between two laughs.

“Really? You promise we’ll go trick-or-treating this year?”

“Yes! I still think it’s stupid and we’re way too old for this, but I’ll come with. Now can you stop, please?”

“You only had to ask, sir”, Louis answered with a smirk as he untangled his limbs from Zayn’s and stood up, extending his hand to help his friend get back on his feet.

“I hate you”, Zayn mumbled under his breath.

“That’s a blatant lie, and we both know it”, Louis grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Zayn’s cheek. “I swear you won’t regret this, it’s gonna be the best Halloween ever, I can feel it!” he exclaimed as he was walking away.

Zayn rolled his eyes.

“It better be. There’s no way I’m making a fool of myself for anything less than a legendary night”, he mumbled.

🎃🎃🎃

On the afternoon of the 31st, they took off in Louis’ car. Zayn had managed to convince his friend to go spend Halloween in another town, in order to avoid the potential embarrassment that would ensue if they were caught trick-or-treating by their classmates even though they were both well past the age for it.

“They already think we’re nerds, Lou...”, he’d pleaded a few days before.

“Well, whose fault is that? I’m not the one who was part of the spelling bee club until last year”, Louis had pointed out, making Zayn scoff. There was nothing wrong with liking good spelling, and he’d actually always had a lot of fun in that club. But yeah, it wasn’t really… _sexy_ , he’d thought, cringing.

“Whatever. All I’m saying is, let’s not try our luck, yeah? Especially if you really intend to dress up as Spock from _Star Trek_.”

“I fully do”, Louis had winked. “And I can’t believe you won’t accompany me and dress up as Kirk.”

“I told you, that would be a couple’s costume, and as much as I love you, I don’t want people to get the wrong idea”, Zayn had answered, rolling his eyes. They’d had the exact same argument three times already.

“What do you care, if we’re going somewhere no one knows us, anyway?”

“Louis, I swear to god, can you just drop it? I’ve already agreed to come, I’m not gonna make a fool of myself more than I need to.”

“Fine”, Louis had sighed. “You’re no fun, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, but you love me”, Zayn had said, in a sing-song voice.

“That I do, my friend, that I do”, Louis had smiled.

Now they were driving down the highway in the late October afternoon, passing by rows of orange and yellow-coloured trees, and a few pumpkin patches as well. It all felt perfectly Halloween-y, but Zayn wasn’t surprised. The Pacific Northwest was quite possibly the most perfect place to experience fall season, with all its mysterious pine trees, silent mountains, stormy coastlines, hidden cabins in the woods, and bouts of rain at dusk and dawn. 

He loved living here. He and his family had moved in the area three years before, and it was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him, since, on top of finding a feeling of belonging in this place, he’d also found a best friend.

Twenty minutes later, they reached their destination and Louis parked his car in a residential area. The sun was beginning to set, shedding golden light over the colourful leaves that covered the pavement. The streets were already bustling with activity, with groups of dressed-up children and teenagers everywhere, walking from house to house and shouting excitedly.

“I’m so pumped about this!” Louis exclaimed as he was locking his car. 

He honestly looked quite ridiculous with his blue turtleneck, his pointy ears and his thick eyebrows, but Zayn didn’t have the heart to tell him. Plus, he was pretty sure he looked very stupid himself. He’d wanted to dress up as Spike from _Buffy The Vampire Slayer_ , and had tried bleaching his hair for the occasion, but had regretted it almost immediately. Blonde wasn’t really a good look on him, apparently, but at least he’d found a cool black leather coat for his disguise at a thrift store, and he was pretty sure he’d be able to wear it again.

“Okay, ready?” Louis asked, putting his arm around his shoulder.

“As ready as ever, I guess”, Zayn shrugged.

“Then let’s go get some damn treats!”

Zayn wasn’t really sure why Louis was so obsessed with going trick-or-treating this year. They’d met at fifteen, already too old for it, so in the previous years they would usually attend some house party instead, or hang out at Louis’ place with his sisters and watch horror movies. 

But for some reason, Louis had been harassing him since the beginning of September to go trick-or-treating this year, and in the end Zayn had had no choice but to accept, because that’s just the way it was with Louis. He was annoying, sure, but he always got what he wanted because… well, everybody loved him, including Zayn.

They spent about an hour walking around the suburban streets and getting a decent amount of sweets. Once they were past the initial surprise of seeing two late teenagers in questionable costumes at their door, most of the town’s inhabitants were pretty cool with it, and decided to play along. 

The entire neighbourhood was decorated for the occasion, some people having gone all the way and installed orange and green fairy-lights in their garden, as well as fake spiderwebs, plastic skeletons, and in some instances, fancy sound systems that played eerie tunes. Zayn loved it. He’d grown up in an area where Halloween wasn’t that big of a deal as it was here, so for the first time in his life, he felt properly in tune with the celebration.

As they were walking down the sidewalk and about to step into the front yard of one of those madly decorated houses, they heard someone behind them exclaim:

“Bro, bro, look at that guy! I think we’ve found your other half, H!”

“Could you be any more obvious, Ni?”, another voice hissed in response, but it was too late. 

Both Zayn and Louis had turned around to find out who was being so loud and they were met with quite a vision.

One of the people standing in front of them was a blondette guy with twinkling blue eyes, wearing a fabric costume that was clearly meant to be a pumpkin, except it was completely green. The other guy had curly dark hair and was wearing a horrid jumper whose colour was as undetermined as the colour of his eyes, which were at least prettier than that costume. Zayn was confused for a second until Louis burst out laughing and asked:

“Kirk?”

“Spock?” the curly-headed guy grinned.

“My love, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Louis exclaimed, jumping into the stranger’s arms as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. But the other guy didn’t seem to mind at all, and it took him less than a second to return Louis’ hug with as much enthusiasm as Louis.

“Oh that’s funny, because I’ve been looking everywhere for you too!” he replied with a cheeky wink. “I’m Harry”, he added once they split up from their weird embrace, extending his hand to Louis, who rushed to shake it. “And here’s my best mate Niall, who forced me to come trick-or-treating because he’s still a child at heart.”

“Nice to meet you both! I’m Louis.” He visibly couldn’t keep his eyes off Harry, hardly glancing at Niall, and having apparently completely forgotten about Zayn, who had to introduce himself:

“I’m Zayn, the guy _he_ forced to come along.” 

He shook both of the guys’ hands, but Harry hardly paid attention to him, too focused on Louis as well. Zayn and Niall exchanged a look and raised their eyebrows. _What the hell was that about?_

Zayn had his suspicions. That Harry guy was totally Louis’ type, and from what he could tell, the opposite seemed to be true as well.

Desperate to say something, he asked Niall: “Excuse me, but why is your pumpkin costume green? Unless it’s supposed to be some kind of green pepper?”

“Glad you asked, my friend”, Niall declared, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him close to him so that they could walk side by side towards the house, as if they’d known each other forever. “It’s because my family’s from Ireland. That costume originally belonged to my great-grandfather, and they passed it down from generation to generation until it came to me.”

“You’re messing with me, right?” Zayn frowned.

“Yeah, bro!” Niall cackled. “I mean, I _am_ from an Irish family, but this costume is brand-new, I just managed to find a green version at a thrift store. Anyway, who or what the hell are you supposed to be? A sexy biker?”

Zayn chuckled.

“I mean, yeah, basically. But no, it’s Spike, a character from Buffy, the show, you know?”

“Ah, never watched it, but you seem to be a man with good taste and I like you very much already, Zayn, so maybe I’ll give it a try for you.”

As they were talking and walking towards the front door of the house, Zayn noticed that Louis and Harry seemed to be getting as friendly as Niall and him, if not more. They were apparently bantering about _Star Trek_ and which character was the best, and as ugly as their costumes were, the pair was actually quite adorable to watch. 

Once the four of them made it to the door, Niall jumped to ring the bell enthusiastically, before they all realized, too late, that there was a sign stuck on the door, which read:

_Out of sweets, sorry._

They heard steps coming towards them behind the door, and Harry, who was finally out of his Louis-induced bubble, whispered:

“Shit, do you think they’re gonna be mad we rang anyway?”

Zayn was about to suggest they just leave, but before he could say anything, the door opened and revealed the face of a familiar guy.

“Oh, hi”, Zayn let out, immediately scolding himself, because what if he didn’t recognize him, especially with his blonde hair?

But he shouldn’t have been worried, since as soon as he spotted Zayn, the guy smiled at him and said:

“Hi! Wow, it’s been a while.”

“Oh, how do you two know each other?” Louis frowned. “Wait, are you the guy who completely obliterated Zayn at that spelling bee contest last year?”

“Er, yeah, that’s me. I mean, I did win, but I’m not sure ‘obliterated’ is the right word…”, the other boy answered, visibly embarrassed.

“Nah, you did, man, it’s fine”, Zayn shrugged. “It’s Liam, right?”

“Yep. And you’re Zayn, obviously.”

“Yeah, and here’s my best friend Louis, and our two new… acquaintances, I guess?”

“Zaynie!” Niall exclaimed, putting a hand on his chest in feigned shock. “I thought we were friends!”

“We’ve known each other for literally two minutes”, Zayn pointed out.

“I know, I’m kidding, mate. Anyway, I’m Niall and here’s Harry. And I think I’ve actually seen you around at school, but I don’t think we have any classes in common.”

“Oh, that’s possible, you two do look familiar”, Liam answered pensively.

“Great, so now we all know each other! Liam, we’ve read your sign here, but is there any chance you might still have a few treats lying around?” Louis asked.

“No, sorry, I just ran out with the last group that came by. Plus, aren’t you all too old to go around trick-or-treating anyway?”

“That’s what I’ve been telling Niall all night”, Harry sighed.

“Hey, don’t be ungrateful, dude. If I hadn’t had this genius idea, we wouldn’t have met those amazing guys, and that would be very sad, wouldn’t it?”

“Aww, thanks Niall”, Louis cooed. “The feeling’s mutual. Liam, I’m still on the fence about you, but I might change my mind if you offer us something to eat.”

“Well, I just made popcorn, if you guys are into that?”

“Wait, are you serious?”

“Yeah, I made way too much, won’t be able to finish it by myself. Just let me go grab the bowl”, he said, starting to turn away.

“You really don’t have to”, Zayn rushed to say. “Lou was only joking.”

“Um, excuse me Zayn, I was _not_ . I’m _never_ joking about food, especially popcorn, and you should know this by now. But Liam, is there a reason why you made popcorn? Say, you were watching a horror movie, for example?”

“I was, actually!” Liam smiled. “Was just about to start.”

“By yourself?” Niall asked, baffled.

“Yeah”, Liam shrugged. “My sisters are out with their friends, and both my parents are away on a business trip.”

“But don’t you have friends to hang out with?” Harry asked, and there was an awkward moment where Louis nudged Harry’s elbow and raised an eyebrow at him, Niall laughed nervously, and Zayn completely froze.

Liam himself didn’t seem that offended, but mostly embarrassed. He ran his fingers through his brown curls, readjusted his glasses, and said:

“Er… I don’t really have any, I guess. Or like, not close enough to make Halloween plans with.”

“Well, tell you what, how about we watch that film with you?” Louis offered, and Liam visibly perked up.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, I think we were all getting bored with trick-or-treating anyway, right guys?”

“That’s true”, Zayn nodded. “Although, to be fair, I was bored with this whole thing before it even started.”

“Yeah, watching a film sounds much more fun!” Harry added. He’d apparently realized that his question had been a little insensitive, and was apologetically smiling at Liam, who smiled back, unbothered.

“I thought you couldn’t handle horror films, H?” Niall pointed out.

“Shut up, the last time I said that was years ago...”

“Doesn’t change the fact you still haven’t watched one since then, as far as I know.”

They carried on bickering like an old couple as Liam invited them into the house and led them to the living room.

“Right, I’ll go get the popcorn, and maybe a few drinks too.”

“I’ll help you”, Zayn said on a whim.

He followed Liam to the kitchen, and once they were out of range from the three other guys, he cleared his throat and said:

“Sorry about them. They’re… a little intense. I mean, I’ve just met Harry and Niall, but I know Louis can be a lot sometimes. So, please tell us if you want us to go, it’s really no big deal and I’m sure we would understand. I mean, _I_ would, at least.”

“No, are you kidding? I’m grateful for the company”, Liam protested. “Also, it’s nice to see you again. I’ve always meant to tell you I’m sorry I won that contest, I remember thinking that I got much easier questions than you did, and that it was pretty unfair.”

“Are you seriously apologizing for winning?” Zayn frowned.

“Yes…?” Liam answered sheepishly.

“Well, don’t. I appreciate the sentiment, but first of all, I don’t give a fuck about losing, and second of all, you were clearly better than I was. So there’s nothing unfair about it, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Zayn”, Liam answered, blushing a little. He turned towards the fridge, and added: “Now, what should we have for drinks?”

🎃🎃🎃

Watching a horror film with a bunch of virtual strangers turned out to be a lot of fun. They’d settled for _The Texas Chain Saw Massacre_ , and getting to witness everyone’s reactions was probably the most hilarious thing about it, in Zayn’s opinion. Every time there was a jump scare, Niall laughed maniacally in a way that was honestly more terrifying than the film itself, Harry screeched and hid his face behind a cushion while Louis made fun of him but rubbed his back soothingly, Liam jumped and muttered “Ohmygodohmygodohmygod”, and Zayn tried to keep his cool but couldn’t help gripping the couch’s armrest, to the point that he was afraid his nails would leave traces in the leather.

By the end of it, they didn’t really feel like strangers anymore. Harry and Louis were sitting on the floor against the couch, and Harry had switched from hiding his face in the cushion to hiding it in the crook of Louis’ shoulder, and of course, Louis looked very smug about it. Niall was slouched at the end of the couch, his legs spread over Zayn and Liam’s laps, and Zayn was distractedly playing with a thread coming out of his pumpkin costume, while Liam was glued to his side and gripped his elbow everytime the sound of the chainsaw could be heard.

The film ended with a gory scene that made Zayn regret all the treats he’d eaten that night. The end credits started and Liam paused the film. They were all a little stunned, until Niall declared:

“Well, that was fun!”

“It _was_ ”, Louis agreed, then added cheekily: “I think Harry in particular really enjoyed it. Should we watch another one, mate?”

“Shut up”, Harry pouted, disentangling himself from Louis and crossing his arms. “I’m never watching a horror movie again.”

“Well, maybe it’s time to go anyway” Zayn said. “I mean, it’s getting late, and we wouldn’t want to impose on Liam, right?”

“No no, you’re not imposing at all! It’s honestly the most fun I’ve had in a while!” Liam grinned.

“Zayn’s right, though. It _is_ getting late and we’re living a little far away, so maybe we should head back before I get too sleepy to drive safely.”

“Or… you could always stay here for the night?” Liam offered a little hesitantly. “Sorry, does it sound weird? I’m not a serial killer or anything, I swear, just want to help”, he rushed to add.

“Liam, bro, I would never think you’re a serial killer, you look way too much like a puppy for that”, Louis answered with a serious tone. “Zayn, what do you say? Should we stay here?”

“If Liam really doesn’t mind, then yeah, I guess it’d be fun”, Zayn smiled.

“Oh, please, can we stay too?” Harry asked Liam expectantly.

“Of course! The more the merrier and all that, right?”

“So it’s decided, we’re having a sleepover!” Niall exclaimed. “I’m so happy about this, guys, I love you all so much!”

“Aww, Nialler”, Louis cooed, getting up and jumping on Niall, trying to hug him while he was still slouched on the couch. 

Zayn asked Harry:

“Is Niall always like that?”

“If you mean overly enthusiastic, weirdly affectionate and awkwardly open about his feelings, then yes, he’s always like that”, Harry answered, looking fondly at Niall and Louis, whose hug had turned into a tickling battle.

They watched them fight like two kittens for a few seconds until Niall managed to extricate himself from Louis’ hold, and asked:

“Are you guys tired or do you want to do something fun before we settle for the night? I may or may not have an idea…”

“Oh no Niall”, Harry sighed. “Not again… You really shouldn’t be allowed to have ideas, like, ever. They’re always a disaster.”

“Not this time, I promise” Niall smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Well, what is it, then?” Liam asked.

“I think we should have a séance”, Niall declared.

“Oh. That’s actually not the worst idea you’ve had”, Harry conceded. “Could be fun.”

“And you know what would make it even more fun?” Niall added.

“I’m afraid to ask, but shoot, I guess.”

“Having it in the cemetery!”

They all froze, and considered Niall’s proposition in silence.

“I mean, it’s right at the end of the street, would be a shame not to take advantage of it…” Liam pondered. “What do you guys think?” he asked Louis and Zayn.

“I’m _so_ in”, Louis answered, his eyes already shining with excitement.

“Guess I’m in too”, Zayn shrugged.

“Great, it’s settled, then!” Niall exclaimed. “Liam, do you have a spirit board?”

“No. But I guess we could use scrabble pieces or something?”

“I like your mind, sir”, Niall grinned, and they went out of the room to go fetch the séance accessories.

Louis turned towards Zayn:

“You sure you’re okay with doing this? You don’t seem very enthusiastic.”

“Yeah, it’s just… Cemeteries freak me out a little”, Zayn admitted.

“Same for me”, Harry chimed in. “But I guess that’s the whole point, right?”

“Yeah. You can be each other’s emotional support. And don’t worry, I’ll be there to protect you against vampires and other deadly creatures”, Louis declared, wrapping his arms against their shoulders and pulling them by his sides, while Zayn mumbled: “I’d like to see that, Spock.”

Niall and Liam came back into the living room, and a few minutes later, they set off into the night.

🎃🎃🎃

Once Zayn and Harry got past their fear of being in a cemetery in the middle of the night, having the séance turned out to be even more fun than watching the movie. Louis had taken over and was acting all dramatic, trying to speak to ghosts in a spooky voice and illuminating his face with a flashlight, which was actually quite unsettling, in Zayn’s opinion. Niall seemed to be physically unable to keep a straight face and chuckled every two seconds, while Harry was huddled next to Zayn and holding his hand with a death grip. Liam, who seemed pretty freaked out himself after all, had settled on the other side of Zayn, and looked ready to jump out of his skin at any moment. 

They were sitting on the grass in the oldest part of the cemetery, surrounded by dilapidated graves whose shadows were hardly visible under the pale moonlight. The scrabble pieces were arranged in a circle and there was a glass in the middle, which they were all touching with one finger, waiting for it to move and give them answers to Louis’ increasingly stupid questions. He’d started with a classic “Is there a spirit here?”, and of course _someone_ (either Louis himself or Niall, Zayn couldn’t be sure), had spelled out Y-E-S. So then Louis had asked for the spirit’s name, to which they had answered K-E-V-I-N, which had made even Zayn and Harry laugh.

After a few other questions about the spirit himself (they’d learned pigeons had somehow been the cause of his death), Louis suddenly asked:

“Now, Kevin, tell me, does anyone here have a crush on anyone else in this circle, and if so, who?”

Zayn felt both Harry and Liam freeze by his side. He was pretty sure he knew why when it came to Harry, but Liam’s reaction intrigued him.

Before he could think about it, though, the glass started moving towards the area where the H, the L and the N were, and Zayn was relieved that, at least, he was off the hook for now.

The glass seemed to get dangerously closer to the H, but before they could know for sure, a bright light suddenly illuminated their circle, and they all screamed in terror.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” a stern old man asked, his pale wrinkled face appearing behind the light. He menacingly brandished what seemed to be a shovel at them, and exclaimed in a grumpy voice: “Get out of here at once, before I call your parents!”

So they all rushed to gather their things with trembling hands, not daring to look at the man, who was muttering comments about how disrespectful the youth were under his breath. 

They ran away as fast as they could, not uttering a word until they reached the safety of Liam’s house and burst out laughing.

“Man, that guy was definitely the scariest thing about tonight”, Niall said, trying to catch his breath.

“I know, did you see his shovel? What the fuck was that?” Liam added.

“I seriously thought he was gonna attack us…” Harry shivered

“Lou, I couldn’t help but notice you failed to protect us against that dark creature, but were the first one to run away”, Zayn smirked, jokingly shoving his friend’s shoulder.

“I know, but did you see him? I swear to god he looked scarier than that weirdo in _The Chain Saw Massacre_.”

“Still, though, a promise is a promise.”

They continued bickering while they entered the living room, but Liam interrupted them to discuss sleeping arrangements.

“Do we really want to sleep right now, though?” Niall asked. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m feeling more awake than ever after that cemetery encounter.”

“Yeah, same”, Zayn pondered. “Should we watch another film?”

“Sure, we can do that”, Liam nodded.

“Can it be a romantic comedy instead of a horror film?” Harry asked timidly. “Sorry, I know it’s not really in accordance with today’s mood, but I kinda need to relax now.”

“A romantic comedy sounds good to me”, Louis said, shooting a smile at Harry. 

If Zayn had any lingering doubts about the two of them, this pretty much confirmed what he’d suspected. Louis was known for having quite a distaste for romantic comedies, so his sudden enthusiasm at the idea of watching one for Harry’s sake was _interesting_ , to say the least.

They put on some random Hugh Grant film and settled back in front of the TV. This time Niall had decided to spread out on an armchair by himself, and despite what he’d said just a few minutes before, he promptly fell asleep, his soft snores accompanying the voices of the actors. Harry and Louis were sitting at each end of the couch, but Zayn expected them to close the distance between them soon. He himself was sprawled a little uncomfortably on the floor next to Liam. They were sharing the remaining popcorn, making occasional comments on the plotline but keeping quiet for the most part.

Mid-way through the film, Zayn glanced up at the couch and found that Louis and Harry had fallen asleep too. Louis was somehow managing to sleep while sitting straight up, with his head thrown back and resting against the top of the couch, while Harry looked like a cute little sloth, snuggled against Louis’ side and smiling peacefully in his sleep.

Zayn nudged Liam’s elbow and pointed at the pair, and they both watched them fondly for a few seconds, until Zayn whispered:

“I think I’m getting tired too, actually.”

Liam nodded and paused the film.

“What do you want to do, then? I mean, we can’t really sleep on the floor, right? I guess we can sleep in my room, if you want.” They both blushed a little at the suggestion, and Liam rushed to add: “Or should we bring my bed’s mattress here?”

“Yeah. Yeah, let’s do that.”

The whole thing was quite a struggle. Liam’s mattress was surprisingly heavy, his house’s stairs were quite steep, and when they finally made it downstairs, they’d both forgotten the others were asleep, and weren’t exactly discreet as they stormed into the living room.

Thankfully, though, both Niall and Harry seemed to be too deep into sleep to hear them. Louis, on the other hand, opened his eyes and asked confusedly:

“What’s happening? Why are you being so loud?”

“Sorry, mate”, Liam whispered. “We’re just settling in for the night.”

They pushed the coffee table out of the way and stuck the mattress between the couch and the TV. It somehow fit perfectly.

“I brought you a pillow, Lou”, Zayn said. “You looked pretty uncomfortable. Now go back to sleep, we wouldn’t want Harry to wake up too.”

Louis frowned and looked down at the curly head resting against his shoulder, seemingly just realizing that Harry was all snuggled against him. He smiled contentedly and closed his eyes, saying:

“Thanks, guys. Have a good night, can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

Ten minutes later, after Liam had graciously offered Zayn one of his old T-shirts for the night, they were finally settled under the covers and staring at the ceiling. Zayn wondered if he should have felt strange at the prospect of sleeping right next to someone he’d met only twice in his life. But weirdly, he didn’t. There was something about Liam that was very calming, and even though they were technically strangers, he also felt like they had some kind of connection. And before he could stop himself, that’s what he was telling him:

“It’s weird. I feel like we’ve known each other forever.” He bit his lip, and rushed to add: “I mean, all of us.”

Liam turned his head to face him and smiled.

“I know, I feel the same way. Like, take Harry and Louis. They’ve only met each other, and yet it’s like they just fit, isn’t it?”

They both looked up at the pair again. Louis had brought his arm around Harry’s shoulder in his sleep, and it looked like it would take a few minutes to get them to unglue from each other the next day.

“Yeah, they’re like… our resident lovebirds”, Zayn chuckled. He then turned towards Niall, who was still sprawled on his chair and snoring louder by the minute, and snorted: “And Niall here is like our personal entertainer. Can’t believe I’ve lived without having this guy in my life this whole time.”

“Same”, Liam cackled quietly. After a beat, he asked a little sheepishly: “What would you say we are, then?”

Zayn thought about it for a few seconds, absently noticing the way the half-closed shutters were reflecting stripy shadows all over the covers and the living room floor next to the mattress. He wished he could have taken a picture of it, of how peaceful and weirdly poetic everything was right now. He felt like they were all on a draft in the middle of the sea. 

But he knew a camera wouldn’t have made justice to this feeling.

He turned his eyes back to Liam, who was still looking at him, expectantly waiting for an answer.

“I think we’re the quiet ones”, he whispered eventually.

“The quiet ones… I like that”, Liam smiled.

“Well if you like it so much, can you actually be quiet, please?” a familiar voice interrupted them, making them both jump out of their skin.

“What the fuck, Louis, I thought you were sleeping?”

“I’m trying to, but there’s these two sappy guys who won’t shut up and let me sleep”, Louis replied, and even though he couldn’t see it in the dark, Zayn was pretty sure he was rolling his eyes.

“Sorry”, Liam laughed under his breath. “We’ll shut up now.”

“Awesome, thanks. G’night, guys.”

“G’night, Lou. G’night, Liam.”

“G’night, everybody.”

🎃🎃🎃

“Hey Lou?”

“Hmm?” Louis answered distractedly, tearing his eyes away from the road for a second to glance at Zayn. “What is it?”

They were on their way back home now, driving through the same roads as the day before, except this time it was pouring rain and they could hardly see 20 feet ahead. 

Their little group had woken up around 10, which had been way too early, in Zayn’s opinion. He couldn’t say he had slept very well. His heart had beaten fast in his chest all night, keeping him from falling asleep until the morning light had started coming in through the window and slowly illuminating the room. Even now, he could still feel the adrenaline rushing through his blood, and he wasn’t sure if it was because he was still freaking out about their outing to the cemetery, or because he felt like he’d met some of the most important people of his life the night before.

It had been weirdly intense to part ways with Liam, Harry and Niall that morning. They’d promised each other they’d all hang out again soon, and Zayn was confident that they would, but he missed them already.

“I was just wondering…”, he started. “Why were you so obsessed with going trick-or-treating this year?”

“Oh. Guess I might as well tell you now.” This time Louis kept his eyes on the road—which, thank god, because the fog was getting worse by the second—and Zayn noticed he blushed a little. “It’s gonna make me sound like the sappiest guy ever but… you know, seeing as it’s our last year of high school and we’re probably gonna go our separate ways ina few months, I just wanted to celebrate Halloween with you properly at least once.”

There was a beat. Somehow it felt like a lot to take in, but Zayn eventually replied:

“First off, bold of you to assume we won’t get into the same university. Second off, even if we do end up in different places, bold of you to assume I wouldn’t do everything in my power to still spend Halloween with you.”

“Third off?”

“Who says there’s a third off?”

“There’s always a third off, Zaynie.”

“Okay. Third off, I love you very much and I’m lucky to be your friend.”

This time, Louis was the one who was speechless.

“Also, I’m very glad you dragged me along in the end, because we wouldn’t have met the guys otherwise, and that would be damn tragic.”

Louis’ face lit up.

“I know, right? How cool were they? Like, Niall’s so intense and weird and funny. And Harry…”

“Yeah, tell me about Harry… You like him, huh?”

“Is it that obvious?” Louis asked, cringing a little.

“To be honest, yeah. But if that helps, it’s pretty obvious he likes you too.”

“I hope so. He’s just so…”

“Perfect?”

“I was gonna say ‘sweet’, but I guess ‘perfect’ works even better. What about Liam, though?”

“What about him?”

“Come on, I heard you guys talk last night, ‘we’re the quiet ones’ and all that… That was so cheesy it was almost dramatic. Unless it’s the opposite, I don’t know.”

Zayn couldn’t help but cackle. It was true that, looking back on it in broad daylight, it sounded pretty ridiculous. But it felt special too. _Liam_ had felt special. The both of them together had felt special. Actually, all five of them together had felt special. Like it was somehow meant to be.

So, instead of answering Louis’ half-hidden question, he asked another one:

“Can you promise me we’ll see all three of them again? And that, whatever happens, we’ll always remember last night?”

“We will”, Louis answered. “I’m sure we will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading 👻 I had a lot of fun writing this, especially since it was my first time trying out Zayn's POV. Thanks again to all the GC members for coming up with this challenge idea, it was amazing!  
> PS: I never watched Star Trek nor The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so if things don't add up, that's why 😌


End file.
